In an era when certain segments of society are desperately trying to bust out of the closet, longtime Newswire contributor Dave Anthony (better known to SG readers as FearTheReaper) is spending an inordinate amount of time in one with his best buddy – comedian and He’s Just Not That Into You co-author Greg Behrendt. However there’s nothing repressed or suppressed about what they do together in the confined space.

Entering Greg’s well-appointed walk-in each week armed with nothing but a tape recorder and their endearingly curmudgeonly demeanors, the two work out their issues mano-a-mano for your entertainment. The result is a series of Walking The Room rants / podcasts that have gained respect from people you might actually care about – or not as the case may be.

A blogger of unknown repute called Riley Breckenridge, who posts his shit on OCWeekly.com, enthuses that “Dave and Greg are some of the best ranters around, be it fury, shit-losing, slaying, what-have-you.” Meanwhile Patton Oswalt, a self-identifying fan, heartily recommends the Walking The Room podcasts to those who “hate to laugh, and also dislike joy?”

That last comment might sound harsh, but pathos and tragedy are key to well rounded humor (and the psychoanalysis industry). When asked to describe the Walking The Room podcasts, Greg says, “You know the opening title sequence of Mad Men where Don Drapper is slowly falling to his death. Now imagine that with two less attractive guys in a closet filled with Tim Tams.”

The duo’s relationship didn’t begin in such a malty, chocolaty way – though it was kind of sweet. “We met 22 years ago in San Francisco when I did my first open mic. Greg was the first guy to approach me when I got offstage. He said I was funny and gave me a list of open mics around the city to go to,” remembers Dave. Having a sideline as a self-help / love guru, Greg recalls the incident in a somewhat sexier way: “Dave had just performed his standing up comedy. He was great and I told him so, and we became friends. He’s an easy lay.”

Over two decades after their less-than-historic first meeting at The Holy City Zoo comedy club, it was Dave who initially felt the urge to podcast (though others contend he’d just eaten a dodgy burrito that day). “I was stuck at home watching the baby and realized I couldn’t think of any stand up because I was brain dead and there was no time for writing,” says Dave. “I saw a few of my fellow comics were doing podcasts and decided to try one on my own. After two episodes, I was bored listening to myself and remembered Greg and I used to have a radio show that never quite came together because the powers that be were forcing us to do things we didn’t want to do. A podcast would give us the freedom to do whatever we wanted, so I contacted Greg.”

Abusing their FCC-free liberty with alacrity, the duo broadcast over the interwebs on a wide range of topics. Want to know why Shia LaBeouf is not a fucking movie star? Dave has that covered. Need to know where Greg keeps his wallet? Or why comedy venues are an incredibly inappropriate place to do comedy? If you’re curious, plain bored, or just want to listen to something more hilarious than the state of your adjustable rate mortgage, the Walking The Room podcasts are available at the right price (free) from iTunes and WalkingtheRoom.libsyn.com. (The pair do accept donations of premium British candy however.)